


world without you, what would i do

by AlwaysSleeping



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: Ballet Dancer Tessa, F/M, Gabriella Papadakis - Freeform, Guillaume Cizeron - Freeform, Parallel Universe, Tessa hits her head and wakes up in a world where she never met Scott, such an au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-05-01 09:44:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14517765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysSleeping/pseuds/AlwaysSleeping
Summary: Tessa wonders why she can never turn down a dare.And especially when they lead to things like concussions, confusion and waking up in a world where she never met Scott Moir.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Love this crazy AU idea for a fic so here's the first chapter! Enjoy and please share!  
> Title from the Hudson Taylor song "World Without You"

It was all Guillaume’s fault. At least that’s what Scott thought, and what he always said when the ‘incident’ came up in conversation for many years afterwards. 

A Tuesday morning at the rink began like any other; Scott arriving around 6am, greeting Marie-France and Patrice, who always got there before him, bright-eyed and energetic. Scott was a morning person, but sometimes he wondered if they were actually human. Tessa usually slumped in around 6:15, silently grabbing the coffee that Scott always left in front of her locker, grunting as a hello, and sloping into the dressing room to put on her skates. She’d emerge a few minutes later with the beginnings of a smile, before taking Scott’s hand and stepping onto the ice. Guillaume and Gabby always arrived together at 6:30, waving to the Canadians out on the rink, before starting their own warm-up.

Tessa always kept a close eye on the French pair as they practiced, not snooping, just ensuring she had an idea of their programs and how they were coming along. The Olympics were on the horizon, and she was sure as hell not going to lose because they pulled some amazing lift out of nowhere. They were always friendly though, and the two teams had a great relationship when they put aside the competition. 

Tessa was finding it hard to concentrate on practice as she was trying to pluck up the courage to have ‘The Talk’ with Scott. They drifted apart so much after Sochi, and she would hate for that to happen again. They were closer than they had been in years, and she wondered how she was going to propose taking up the offer of touring after PyeongChang. 

That morning, during a quick break, with Gabby outside talking to her mom on the phone, Tessa, Scott and Guillaume stood talking at the boards. She enjoyed trying to practice her French with Gui when she could, and, to be honest, if she were younger, she might be attracted to him. But he was like a little brother, and still felt a bit immature to her. Tessa was just about to pull Scott aside to talk about the possibility of touring when he grabbed his guards and stepped off the ice.

“Hey, I’m just gonna run to the bathroom, OK? Back in a sec!” Scott shot her a smile and walked over to the door of the men’s room. Tessa inwardly groaned, but decided to try again later. That man’s bladder was the size of a pebble.

“So, don’t you think it’s funny that me and Gabby are only a bit older than you two were when you won in Vancouver?” Guillaume smirked, and Tessa put on her game face, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. “Yeah, that is funny! God, it’s gonna be so great when we win it again!” Tessa grinned widely, acting as if it was all fun and games, but with a competitive edge to her voice. Guillaume laughed at her threat, and leaned back against the boards.

“Well, when you pull out something like The Goose, nobody else has a chance.” Tessa is surprised by Guillaume’s seemingly genuine compliment, and begins to feel bad for her previous diss. “But, I mean, considering you don’t have anything near as impressive as that in these programs…” 

And, there it was. She should have known better than to think he would let her win that battle. 

“Just cause you and Gabby don’t have the guts to do The Goose!” To anyone else, it would have sounded harsh, but bashing each other was just part of their half friendship/half rivalry, and she knew he wouldn’t really take it to heart. 

“Ooh la la, tough talk there Miss Virtue! Well, I’m not sure about Gabby, but I know I could do the Goose in my sleep.” Guillaume stood up indignantly, folding his arms, and shooting Tessa a cocky smirk. Tessa snorted loudly at his confidence, remembering how long it took her and Scott to get it right. “Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.” She hoped she sounded confident, because in fact, she had seen the French practice the Goose before, and while they weren’t as flawless as her and Scott, they could certainly perform it. She knew they would never dare put it in a competition program, so she supposed they could have some fun trying out new tricks. 

“Ok then, after you Madame.” Guillaume bowed dramatically and gestured to the centre of the rink with his hand. Tessa stared at him in confusion, hoping he wasn’t suggesting what she thought he might be suggesting. 

“Excuse me?” She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the French man standing looking at her with a hint of mischief in his expression. 

“Oh, come on Tessa, don’t you trust me? We could do it no problem, oui?” Guillaume pleaded with her, desperate for a bit of fun before Gabby came back and they had to return to training. 

“I do it no problem with Scott, and Scott only, thank you very much!” Tessa replied, turning away from him, hoping he’d take the hint. 

“Don’t tell me you are scared, Madame? Guess you just can’t handle a little dare…” Tessa’s head whipped around at Guillaume’s challenging words. She knew he was trying to rise her, knowing that she can’t resist a competition, and it was working. Her eyes drifted to the men’s bathrooms, hoping that she could will Scott to walk out the door and stop her from doing something she would regret. She counted to 5 in her head, and when he didn’t appear, she turned to Guillaume with a fierce look in her eye. She couldn’t bear to see that smug expression on his face a second longer.

“Fine, but you better not mess this up.” The French man cheered in victory, and began skating into the centre of the rink. Tessa silently prayed that Scott would stay out of sight for the next few minutes, knowing how annoyed he would be seeing her do their signature lift with Guillaume, of all people. She hated her competitive nature at times, and especially right now, and so she tried to convince herself that standing up to his challenge would send a message that she’s not to be messed with before the Games. It was a stretch really; she honestly just couldn’t turn down a dare.

As she moved towards Guillaume, she began feeling more and more determined to prove herself to him. Doing the Goose with him would be strange, but if it meant he understood that she wasn’t to be intimidated, then it would be worth it. It was a one-time thing, all for a good cause, and she knew he was a strong skater.

They agreed on an exit that worked for them both and began skating around the rink to build up momentum, Tessa trying with all her might to pretend it was Scott beside her. As they approached the lift, she slipped into performance mode, concentrating hard on stepping up onto Guillaume’s leg with the perfect amount of precision and balance. As he squatted low beside her, she felt her left foot leave the ice and engaged her core as she heaved her body upwards, balancing on his thigh. 

Just as she let her weight fall onto one leg, Tessa felt Guillaume’s balance shake more than she would like. Fear flashed across her face as Guillaume lost all strength in his thigh, and her scream echoed around the rink as his knees buckled and she began to fall.

The last thing she remembers before her head sickeningly cracks against the cold ice is hearing Scott’s voice ring out in panic. 

“Tessa!” 

And then she’s out cold.

*********************************************************************************  
As her blurry vision begins to focus, Tessa blinks and carefully tries to move. Bright lights make her eyes sting and she’s confused by the strong, chemical smell surrounding her. When she opens her eyes fully, she tries sitting up, but a sharp pain piercing through her head sends her back to the pillow with a loud groan. 

A gasp coming from somewhere beside her causes her to open her eyes again, and when she sees her mom and Jordan staring back at her with an anxious look, she gets really confused. Why isn’t she at the rink? Where’s Scott? Where is she?

“Tessa, honey, you’re in the hospital, it’s ok, you’re safe. I’m so happy you’re finally awake!” Kate leans over her bed and takes her hand. 

“Mom, I’m going to freaking kill him!” Tessa croaked out, filled with anger at her own stupidity and Guillaume’s mistake. She couldn’t turn down a childish dare and now she’s in the hospital 6 months before the Olympics. Jordan and Kate exchanged confused looks at her declaration. 

“What? Honey, just relax, you need to rest your head. You had a really nasty fall, and the doctors say you have a concussion but you’ll be OK. Guess you’ll be more careful practicing your grande jete next time, hey?” Kate laughed, but Tessa’s face was dead serious.

“Grande jete? Mom, what are you talking about?” Tessa knew her memory was a little foggy, but she knew for a fact she hadn’t attempted a proper grande jete since she was about 9.

“That’s how you hurt your head honey, you were practicing by yourself and you fell coming down.” Kate looked concerned at Tessa’s confusion. 

“What, no I didn’t, Mom, it was all his fault, that asshole! I can’t believe he made me do the Goose with him!” Tessa felt overwhelmed with anger now. That stupid kid probably dropped her on purpose to try some stupid sabotage before the Games.

“Tessa, you’re obviously concussed, you need to get some sleep.” Jordan placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, looking worriedly at her fuming younger sister.

Tessa chuckled to herself. “I was just about to ask where Scott was, but then I realised that he’s probably still at the rink, kicking his ass back to France.” Kate furrowed her brow, and took both Tessa’s hands in hers.

“Honey, do you even know what you’re talking about?” She asked gently.

“Yeah,” Jordan added, “Who’s Scott?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I'm studying for exams right now, but I hope you enjoy this!

Tessa didn’t really know why, but she burst out laughing. Not just a brief, civilised giggle, but a full-scale fit of belly laughing that lasted for almost 5 minutes. Kate and Jordan tried in vain to calm her down and decipher the gibberish she was spouting through the tears streaming down her face. Her whole body shook until she eventually felt able to breathe again.

“Oh my god, Jordan, that’s hilarious! Who’s Scott!” She mimicked her sister’s previous words, and continued chuckling softly, wiping her eyes. 

“Tessa, what on earth is so funny?” Her sister frowned down at her, now completely lost.

“Are you guys seriously trying to pull some prank right now? I’ve just been dropped on my head by some French idiot 6 months before the Olympics and you two are trying to mess with me!” Tessa was amazed by Kate and Jordan’s acting skills. They were making a really good effort with this joke, but she could see right through them. It was probably Scott’s idea anyway.

“Tessa, the Olympics? You must have hit your head harder than we thought. First of all, the Olympics aren’t for 2 years, and second of all, why do you care?” Kate spoke gently, becoming more confused by the second. 

“Oh Mom, give it up, you’re really not that good of an actress! Anyway, if Guillaume thinks that sabotaging me is gonna stop me going to the Games with everything I have, then he is stupider than I thought!” Tessa settled back into her pillow with a determined look set into her soft features.

“She must be talking about the Winter Olympics,” Jordan whispered to her mom, before turning back to a fuming Tessa. “Tess, I don’t why you think that, but you are definitely not going to the Olympics.” 

Tessa jumped up, back straight as a rod. “Excuse me! Jordan, don’t even say that! It’s a bang on the head, not a permanent brain injury! Scott and I are going to the Olympics in February, no matter what. I don’t know what you two are trying to do, but just cut the act now OK?” Tessa was furious that her family were trying to make her upset. They knew all her anxieties and worries, and while she loved a prank as much as the next girl, she had to draw the line somewhere.

Jordan and Kate stayed deadly serious though, and Tessa’s stomach dropped. She had the most horrible feeling that they weren’t kidding. But that was literally impossible! She had had an accident, not fallen into some crazy parallel universe! However, the more she looked at her mom’s concerned expression, the more scared she got. 

“Tessa, honey, listen now, OK? You are a world-renowned ballet dancer with the Russian Ballet. Last time I checked, ballet was not an Olympic sport. And I have no idea who Scott is, but you’ve never danced with him, that’s for sure!” Kate had no idea that every word she spoke made Tessa feel more and more like throwing up. She could see her entire world falling apart right in front of her and she had no idea what to do. 

“Wh-what? Mom, I haven’t been properly involved in ballet since I was 9!”

“OK, that’s it, we’re going to let you get some proper rest, Tess. Come on Mom, she needs to sleep and get her thoughts together.” Jordan took charge and went to get her jacket. 

“Yeah, I think that’s best. Honey, you get some sleep, OK?” Kate used the voice she had always used when Tessa was sick as a child. “I’ll call Sergei and tell him you’re awake. But, I swear to God, you are getting at least three weeks off, and no less!” Kate was in full, well-practiced Mom mode right now, but Tessa felt like things had never been so unfamiliar.

One thing she knew was that she needed to be alone.

When the room was finally silent, she felt the weight of the last few minutes on her shoulders. Tessa tried to get comfortable but felt like she was buzzing. Confusion and anxiety clouded her mind as she tried to process everything she had just heard. She remembered the entire accident, from Guillaume’s challenge all the way up to hitting her head. She took a little comfort in the fact that at least she knew the truth. Her thoughts ended with only one alarming conclusion. 

From what she could gather, she had fallen into a parallel universe. 

As crazy as it sounded, Tessa had read about this plenty of times in books and seen it play out in movies. She never thought it would happen to her, but she guessed it wasn’t impossible that the bump on the head might have sent her into some sort of hallucinatory dream world. Yet, everything seemed so real, so vivid.

All the commotion had actually tired her out, and as Tessa felt her eyes get heavy, she thought everything might be clearer after a nap…

****************************************************************************

In the days following the accident, Tessa gathered information about this new life she led. No matter what her family told her, she knew that her actual life was waiting for her to get back to somewhere out there, she just had to figure out a way to actually get back. In every movie where this scenario had played out, the main character got sent to a parallel universe so they could learn a lesson. Tessa didn’t know what the lesson was yet, but she knew she had to learn it to return to her real life.

Two days after waking up, Tessa sat in a strange new apartment in the centre of Toronto. This is where her mom had brought them after getting discharged from the hospital, so she assumed it was supposed to be her home. It was a beautiful space, decorated quite similarly to her actual apartment in Montreal, but it felt so, so empty, like no one had lived there for years.

The walls were bare of the pictures of her with friends and family, her kitchen was blindingly clean and white, and the place on the wall where her Olympic medals were normally displayed was blank. In their place were frames containing photos of her on stage, performing with the Russian Ballet. Each one was beautiful, showing off her talent and passion for dance. 

But she was alone in every single one.

Tessa hoped that she wasn’t vain in this world, but really, she got the vibe that she just didn’t have that many friends here.

However, the thing that disturbed her most of all was that there wasn’t one single trace of Scott anywhere. No pictures, no spare toothbrush in the bathroom, no number for him in her phone, no leftovers from their last dinner together, no Leafs jersey he’d left behind once when he’d taken a shower at her place and had never gotten back. It was like he didn’t even exist here. And that was the scariest part of all of this. 

Tessa glanced over at her mom bustling around in the kitchen, making lunch. She felt like she had to get some information about why her life was so different here, and there was only one person who could help her with that. 

“Hey, Mom, I know this is a weird question, but I was just thinking, did I ever skate as a child?” Tessa tried to sound nonchalant, hoping Kate wouldn’t become even more concerned that she already was about Tessa’s apparent memory loss, and newfound curiosity about her life. 

Kate glanced over with a slight frown, but took the bait. “Not really, honey, I mean, we are Canadian so you went to a few lessons, but not for long.” 

Tessa’s heart broke slightly at this information, wondering how a universe could possibly exist where she didn’t fight tooth and nail to get to skate.

“Why didn’t I keep it up though? Didn’t I like it?” She didn’t understand how little people-pleaser Tessa didn’t want to be the best skater Carol Moir and the Ilderton Skating Club had ever seen. 

“Well, first of all, the woman we took you too at the London rink was an absolute cow, if you’ll excuse my rudeness, and second of all, you were afraid of falling. But, then you went off to the National Ballet School and you never got the chance to try it again.” Kate continued on chopping vegetables, unaware of how the pieces were now coming together in Tessa’s mind.

It made her feel better that the reason she never met Scott was because of where her parents sent her for lessons, not because she was some crazy bitch kid who was rude to him or something. 

But she couldn’t shake the second reason. She was afraid of falling. Scared, because Scott wasn’t there to catch her. 

Later that evening, with enough chicken soup for a whole village in the kitchen ‘just in case’, and a warning that if she felt even the slightest bit sick or in pain to call right away, Kate left Tessa’s apartment for home. Tessa appreciated her mom’s concern, but she really did feel perfectly fine, aside from the whole ‘stuck in an alternate universe’ thing.

Tessa barely waited for her mom to get into her car before opening her laptop, and typing ‘Scott Moir’ into the search bar.

A list of results popped up from various skating websites and blogs. Tessa’s stomach tightened at the thought that maybe Scott had another partner, they were wildly successful, and he really was the stronger one of the two. 

Clicking on the first article, a picture of Scott appeared with two young skaters, gold medals around their necks and wide smiles on their faces, taken 3 months ago. His hair was shorter here, and he was dressed in Team Canada gear. “He’s not getting enough sleep,” Tessa said to herself, knowing this solely from his eyes. 

“Scott Moir raises champions yet again as Canada grabs gold at Junior Worlds,” read the headline at the top of the page. “Scott Moir, former Canadian figure skater, has coached another pair to World success. Along with Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, this is another in a long line of wins for the Gadbois team.” 

Tessa found many more articles just like this, and smiled to herself at the mention of Marie-France and Patch. She clicked on Scott’s Wikipedia page to find out more about his career.

“Scott Moir is a retired Canadian figure skater. He is a 2010 Olympic medallist, a two-time World medallist and a 3-time Canadian national champion.” 

Tessa breathed a huge sigh of relief to see that Scott was a singles skater. She didn’t think she could bear to see pictures of him performing with someone else. She smiled at his list of achievements, but knew that Scott wasn’t really happy unless he was on top of the podium. 

“Moir is well known for his unpredictable temper. He was suspended for 3 months in late 2011 for getting into a fight with another skater for apparently colliding with him during a warm up. He retired at 25 after years of controversy stopped him from achieving his full potential.”

He was a true tearaway, always getting into trouble with the ISU and being seen falling out of nightclubs. He seemed to have calmed down slightly since he began coaching, but still faced frequent warnings over his temper at competitions. 

Tessa’s stomach dropped as she read more and more about Scott’s wild ways. She felt tears spring to her eyes and wondered how on earth Scott could act like this. She knew he struggled to control his emotions, but they had worked so hard for so long to help him keep them in check, and he rarely ever got angry nowadays. 

Tessa wiped her wet eyes with her sleeve, and shut her laptop roughly. She had to admit, she was angry with Scott for letting his emotions get the better of him so often. She just knew that if she had been there with him, they would have synced their breathing in a tight hug, looked each other in the eye and said, “It’s just you and me out there.”

Perhaps he really did need her. And she was beginning to see how much she truly needed him. Every time she had made a joke in the last two days, her family had given her a strange look, and more than once had remarked, “You’re very funny all of a sudden.”

The Tessa she was here was lonely and distant, that much was obvious from the stiffness of her apartment, and her apparent lack of a sense of humour. 

It was Scott who had taught her how to have fun. And without him, she was empty. 

It was becoming clear to Tessa what her lesson might be. She seemed to have the perfect life here, all her family still loved her, she had an amazing job and a beautiful apartment. 

But she didn’t have Scott.

So she was going to go find him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DudeBro Scott makes his debut.

Tessa was packing her suitcase at 7am the next morning, simultaneously full of determination and anticipation. Her flight to Montreal was booked for 10am and she had absolutely no plan whatsoever. She didn’t know where Scott was going to be, if he would talk to her, or even what she would say to him. Tessa had never felt more unprepared for anything in her life, but she didn’t care, because she knew that, eventually, she would get back to her real life and no one would remember anything she said or did here, as long as she pulled this part off.

She was putting her last few things into her bag when a flurry of energy burst through her bedroom door. It had long black hair, was dragging two suitcases and was highly out of breath. It was Jordan.

“Jordan, what the hell are you doing here? I have to leave in a few minutes; my flight is in three hours.” Tessa looked at her sister with a confused expression, hands on her hips.

“You, my baby sister, are crazier than I thought you were if you think I am gonna let you go all the way to Montreal by yourself, a week after you were blacked out in a hospital with a concussion! No way in hell is that happening!” Jordan waved a finger around indignantly as she loudly lectured Tessa on how the after-effects of a concussion can take weeks to fully recover from.

Tessa was panicking, but trying really hard not to show it. How was she supposed to justify a random trip to Montreal out of nowhere, to the only person in the world who could read her as well as Scott? She wasn’t planning on actually telling her older sister about her holiday until she was a safe 500 kilometres away, expecting this reaction. She knew Jordan wouldn’t buy the “I really need a trip away” and “Montreal just has so much culture” lines that she gave to her mom, who was just as concerned, but eventually gave in to Tessa’s wish for a vacation.

“Jordan, I feel fine, I am fine, you really don’t need to come with me! I need some peace and quiet, some relaxation time before I have to get back to work.” Tessa held her older sister by the shoulders, trying to get her point across without looking desperate. There was no way Jordan would go along with Tessa’s goose chase across Montreal for Scott, and she really didn’t need anything getting in the way of finding him.

Jordan removed Tessa’s hands from her shoulders, and folded her arms in a steadfast pose that Tessa was very used to from her childhood. She gave her Tessa her best ‘disapproving older sister’ look.

“What possible reason could you have to jet off to Montreal solo after what happened?” Jordan’s frown started to soften to a more concerned expression. Tessa could see that she really was just trying to protect her, but under no circumstances could she come with her on this trip. The entire idea was risky enough as it was, without having to explain her sudden interest in finding a famous figure skating coach to her older sister.

“Look, I haven’t had a vacation in too long, and I’ll be back at work in two weeks, so why not be spontaneous?” Tessa thought it was worth a shot to feed Jordan the same story she gave her mom, putting on her most convincing smile.

“You’re never spontaneous. Like ever.” Jordan’s deadly serious expression returned and Tessa’s stomach tightened again. She was never gonna buy it.

Jordan looked down at her silver watch and sighed. “OK, I don’t know what you’re hiding, Tess, but you can tell me the real reason on the plane. Now, come on and get your shit together, or we’re gonna miss our flight.” She turned on her heel, grabbed her heavy bags and breezed out of the room, leaving Tessa in her path, mouth slightly open and confused as to what exactly just happened.

Guess she was just gonna have to think of a really good excuse.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

3 hours later, Tessa tried to get comfortable in her plane seat, shuffling around and organising her things. She was fidgeting, and knew it was freaking out the middle aged guy sitting beside her. She couldn’t help it though, she was just too nervous. It was a short plane journey, definitely not long enough for Tessa to get her thoughts in order about what she was going to do when she met Scott. If she could even find him, that is. For all she knew, he could be on the other side of the world at a competition.

However, it was definitely too late to turn back now, and Tessa was thanking her lucky stars that Jordan was at the other end of the plane. She still hadn’t thought up a reason for her oh-so-spontaneous trip, and time was running out on that deadline too.

About 20 minutes, and a whole lot of nervous fidgeting later, the guy sitting beside Tessa got up and headed for the bathroom. Within milliseconds of him standing up, Jordan had sprinted up the aisle and thrown herself into his seat.

Tessa jumped roughly 3 feet into the air, and let out a strangled yelp.

“Jordan, what the hell? You scared the life out of me! Go back to your seat!” Tessa aggressively whispered, trying not to draw any more attention to the two of them than Jordan’s sudden assault on the vacant seat already had.

“Not until you tell me why we are going to Montreal! You thought you would get out of telling me by sitting by yourself, uh-uh, no way baby sister! Now spill!” Jordan replied in a determined tone, not especially caring who could or couldn’t hear her.

“Well, first of all, _I_ am going to Montreal for a vacation, _you_ are going because you’re being crazy overprotective! And second of all, I’m sorry I didn’t book seats for two so you could harass me for the entire journey!” Tessa hoped her heavy sarcasm would cause Jordan to give up and go back to her seat, but her older sister was not giving up without a fight.

“Tessa. You are my sister. I can see right through you. Now, tell me why you’re really on this plane!” Jordan stared into Tessa’s eyes with a look that said ‘ _I am going to cause the biggest scene ever if you do not tell me what’s going on_.’ Tessa had absolutely no idea what to say. Jordan would literally turn the plane around and check her into the nearest hospital if she told her she thought she was in a parallel universe. A million different ideas ran through her head, each one seemingly sillier than the next, until one insane, crazy idea ultimately slipped out.

“I’m going on a Tinder date.”

Shit. So much for that really good excuse then.

Jordan’s jaw dropped to the floor in shock. After about 3 seconds of this, she burst out laughing. Tessa cringed as her sister started to draw a few confused glances with her outburst.

“Jordan, shut up! What is so funny about me going on a date?” Tessa folded her arms and frowned at her still laughing sister.

“Are you serious right now? It’s not the date that’s funny, it’s the fact that you’re flying across the country to it! And by yourself? Have you never seen Catfish?” Jordan wiped her eyes, and placed her hand gently on Tessa’s arms.

“W-well, I’ve been talking to him for a few months, and he’s from Ilderton! I told him I had some time off work, and he invited me to meet up.” Tessa was completely winging this, but she had to sell her story.

“Tinder, really? You always said dating apps were for crazy stalkers to stalk other stalkers.” Jordan was obviously confused at another addition to the list of things that was different about her sister in the last week.

“Well, I decided to get out of my comfort zone.”

Jordan burst out laughing again.

“You never get out of your comfort zone, Tess!”

Great, another beautiful part of Alternate Universe Tessa.

Jordan returned to her seat, still laughing, and satisfied that she had managed to wrangle an answer out of her sister. Tessa felt pretty satisfied too. Despite her stupid excuse, Jordan seemed to take the bait, and hopefully she would go enjoy the Montreal shopping scene while Tessa went to find Scott for their ‘date’.

This didn’t solve the actual problem, though. How the hell was she going to find Scott?

45 minutes later, the girls landed at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. A taxi took them to their fancy hotel in the Southwest borough of the city. After checking in, Jordan flopped on to their king size bed and let out a sigh.

“I am exhausted. Why did you have to book such an early flight?” Tessa had begun digging through her suitcase for her makeup bag.

“Because, I wanted to get here early and dive right in to the culture and history that you, dear sister, would not appreciate.” Tessa replied, while searching for a hairbrush. In fact, the real reason she got here in the morning was because she knew for sure that if Scott was at Gadbois, he’d still be there at this time.

Tessa quickly changed into a cute sundress and wedges, before starting to apply her makeup. Jordan lay on the bed, flicking through the channels on the TV, not really taking any notice of Tessa as she got ready. It was when she pulled out her straightening iron though, that Jordan sat up straight.

“Oh my God, are you going on your date right now?” Jordan exclaimed, switching off the TV abruptly.

Tessa froze. How did she know? She was planning on telling Jordan she was going to every single museum and art gallery in the city and pointing her in the direction of the nearest shopping centre, before heading straight to Gadbois.

“You only ever straighten your own hair for special occasions.” Damn her sister and her observation skills.

“W-well, I guess, I thought I could get someone to take a picture of me beside some of the monuments?” Tessa replied, with more of a question than an answer, and Jordan let out a snort of laughter.

“Bullshit, you are going on your date! I can’t believe you thought you could fool me, yet again. You should really know better by now.” Jordan climbed off the bed and started to pull on her shoes.

“What are you doing?” This was not at all part of Tessa’s (half-assed) plan.

“I’m going with you, stupid. After everything that has already happened today, do you think I’m going to let you go on a Tinder date with a random stranger in a new city by yourself?” Jordan gave her younger sister an amused look.

“Actually, yes I do, because I am a 28-year-old woman who can look after herself, without her big sister trailing along behind, snooping!” Jordan walked over and started straightening Tessa’s hair for her.

“Tess, relax. This is not a big deal. Nobody is supposed to go on a Tinder date by themselves, not even the bravest, most capable 28-year-olds, OK? I won’t get in the way, I promise. Where are you meeting this guy, anyway?” Tessa had absolutely no choice but to agree. She let her sister help her get ready with a pit in her stomach.

And the venue for the date? That was the most fun part to explain.

******************************************************************************************************************************************

Jordan stood completely still in front of the entrance to the Gadbois centre. Tessa waved a hand in front of her sister’s face to shake her out of her non-responsive state. With a slight jump, Jordan turned to Tessa with a resigned look.

“I guess, after everything that’s already gone down today, I can’t be surprised by a date at a figure skating rink.” Jordan sighed at her sister’s ability to get into the weirdest situations.

“Well, I’m not exactly sure we are going on our date here. He just said he works here and to meet him at 2.30.” A movie started to play in Tessa’s head of her walking into the rink, finding Scott was in Helsinki or Croatia or somewhere, and having to fake cry to Jordan about getting stood up. Oh yeah, and being stuck in a parallel universe forever. She wouldn’t have to fake cry about that part.

As they went inside, Tessa felt her palms begin to sweat. This place was her second home, but she felt like a stranger here. She walked past a few skaters she had known for years, and they didn’t -even look at her. A lump rose in her throat, a mixture of nerves and excitement. She hadn’t seen Scott in over a week, probably the longest she had ever gone without seeing or talking to him.

Thankfully, she knew Gadbois held open practice from 1 to 2 o’clock every day. As long as you didn’t disturb, film or take pictures of the skaters, anyone could come in and watch them practice. The two girls made their way into the arena, and Tessa began to scan the ice for familiar faces. She could see Gabby and Guillaume practicing, and inwardly groaned that, even in a parallel universe, these two got in the way. Marie and Patch stood at the boards watching intensely, and occasionally shouting advice to the French pair.

Tessa gave Jordan extremely strict instructions to stay put in the stands, while she went to look around. She had no plan, and she was fine with that.

She looked around the arena in hope of seeing Scott. When she couldn’t find him, she headed for the information desk in the lobby. With her best smile, she asked the teenager working if he knew if Scott Moir was in the rink today. One red face, and a lot of stammering later, Tessa learned that, yes he was, and he should be having lunch around this time.

Back inside the arena, Tessa headed for the snack bar. Herself and Scott usually ate here during their lunch breaks, but she didn’t know if Coach Scott ate here or not. As she got within eyeshot of the tables scattered through the dining area, Tessa froze where she was standing.

There he was. She could only see his back, but she knew it was him. Hair slightly shorter, and eating a sandwich, while talking to two young skaters sitting across from him. He was waving his free hand around, obviously explaining some move, and then writing on a piece of paper, while the pair listened intently. Yeah, that was Scott alright.

OK, Tessa, here’s the plan, she thought to herself. She was just going to sidle on up the snack bar, get herself a coffee, and then casually ask Scott if he happened to know if this place offered skating lessons. He was wearing a Gadbois jacket after all, and was the only obvious employee in the rink except for Marie and Patch, so it wouldn’t be too weird to inquire about rink facilities.

After a quick motivational pep talk in her head, and a confident flick of her hair, Tessa walked up the snack bar, using all her self-restraint not to look over at Scott. She was just looking over the menu on -the wall, when she thought she heard a voice behind her, aggressively whispering, “Dude, just go and talk to her!” Tessa frowned to herself, before shaking her head and ordering a cappuccino from the young girl behind the counter.

“Hey, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m gonna have to politely ask you to leave.” Scott suddenly appeared beside her with his arms folded. Tessa jumped at his appearance, and tried not to look him up and down in his training gear. He looked completely the same, except slightly more tired than she was used to. His request was confusing to her. She knew the practice was open to the public, and she hadn’t caused a disturbance. Her eyes flicked over to Jordan, but she was simply scrolling through her phone.

“Excuse me? Why do I have to leave?” This was not good. How was she supposed to get home if the whole reason she was sent here won’t even speak to her?

Scott’s expression softened to a confident smirk, and he leaned against the snack bar counter.

“Well, you’re making all the other girls in the room look bad.”

Oh my God. Scott Moir just pulled a line on her. She had literally seen him do this exact move in 2013. Tessa looked down, trying to suppress her laughter. What kind of universe was this?

“Wow, good line. How long have you been using that one?” Tessa smirked, turning to face him.

“About as long as you’ve been gracing the world with all that beauty. Long enough to know that my name is Scott, and I would love to know your name?” Scott replied, dripping confidence. Tessa held out her hand.

“Tessa Virtue. Nice to meet you.” Scott shook her hand and smiled.

“So, what brings you here to our humble rink, Miss Virtue?” He ran a hand through his hair, and Tessa couldn’t help but miss the longer locks she had grown accustomed too.

“Well, I was actually about to go talk to you, funnily enough. I was going to ask if you offer skating lessons here?” The young girl behind the counter approached Tessa, carrying a takeaway coffee cup, and before she could react, Scott had handed her the money, leaving Tessa holding her purse in surprise.

“Don’t worry about it. A girl as pretty as you should never have to pay for a coffee in her life.”

Wow, he really was going for it, wasn’t he?

At that moment, Tessa’s phone beeped.

“Is that HIM!” “I bet it is, by the way you’re flicking your hair.” “OK, he’s way too hot to be dangerous, I’m going shopping.”

They were all texts from Jordan, and Tessa looked over to the stands to see her older sister picking up her bag and heading out the door. She cringed at Jordan calling Scott ‘hot’. This was the same guy who Jordan had always referred to as ‘little bro’.

“Oh, thank you. You didn’t have to do that!” Tessa blushed at Scott’s kind gesture, though she didn’t quite know why.

“Well, you know what, you can return the favour if you want. Do you want to meet up for coffee tomorrow?” Scott asked, without any reservation.

“We just met.”

“And I would love to meet you again.”

Tessa couldn’t refuse. No matter what universe she was in, those big, brown eyes could always convince her.

“I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I was studying for exams! Hope you enjoyed this chapter x
> 
> Next Chapter: A First Date


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A First Date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL it has been a hot minute. Sorry about the delay on this guys and gals, I kinda lost my motivation here due a slight bout of writer's block, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Tessa lay in her hotel room bed the next morning, and tuned out Jordan’s soft snores to reflect on the events of the previous day. Scott seemed very open, friendly and…flirty? It was really strange for her to see him direct the famous outgoing Moir boy charm onto her, rather than onto some random girl, an act she was very used to from their early twenties. She wasn’t sure how to feel about Scott’s apparent interest in her. 

Tessa thought back to the dream she had just woken from, one that she had seen many times before. From the foggy memory that dreams usually leave, she gathered that she was just a regular girl in a bar with her friends on a Saturday night. They were chatting and laughing over a glass of wine, when a tall, good-looking guy walked up to them, who looked around her age. It was Scott, and she knew that, but Dream Tessa didn’t. They talked all night long, and as they stood beside her car outside the bar, they leaned towards each other. As their lips were about to touch, Tessa had woken with a start.

The dream played out a scenario she had always wondered about. After Sochi, Tessa knew she had feelings for Scott. She just didn’t really know what they were. And then he was with Kaitlyn, and they drifted apart. Tessa used to lie in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking what would be between them if they had just bumped into each other in a bar one night. If skating and the speculation that came with it wasn’t there, if they were just like all other good looking, single 20-somethings? What could have been? 

Her and Scott had exchanged numbers the previous day, even though she could recite his in her sleep, and a loud beep from her nightstand jolted her out of her thoughts as a text appeared on her phone screen. 

“Meet me at Starbucks on Sherbrooke Street in an hour. Looking forward to seeing you!” 

Tessa smiled excitedly at Scott’s invitation, and climbed out of bed to start getting ready. What exactly does one wear to a coffee date to get to know your skating partner of 21 years, who doesn’t know he’s your skating partner of 21 years? 

After choosing a blouse, jeans and denim jacket combo, Tessa pulled a small jewellery box out of her suitcase. Inside of it was a delicate, gold star-shaped necklace, and she watched her reflection fasten the clasp around her neck in the mirror. It was strikingly similar to one that Scott had given her in 2010, after their gold medal skate, but without the tiny heart engraved on the back. She smiled, thinking how remarkable it was that he knows her taste that well, that she would have bought this necklace for herself anyway. 

She grabbed the hotel notepad and scribbled a note to Jordan explaining where she was headed and directions to the nearest mall. As she signed off with a smiley face, a flash of worry shot through her chest. She still didn’t know what her purpose was here. What if this didn’t work out?

Tessa shook her head, and placed the note on the oak wood locker beside Jordan. She smiled at her sleeping sister, and was comforted by the thought that, no matter who or where she was, Jordan would always have her back.

A short trip downstairs later, she emerged into the bright early afternoon sunshine of Montreal. She took a deep breath in an attempt to stop her hands from shaking, and hailed down a taxi. Tessa watched the tall buildings pass by her window on the way to Sherbrooke Street, and remembered the excitement she felt when her and Scott first moved to the city. She was over the moon to be working with Marie and Patch, and to satisfy her competitive spirit through skating again. It didn’t hurt to be spending all her time with Scott again either. 

The large Starbucks building loomed on the other side of the glass all of a sudden, and she paid the taxi driver, before finding herself standing on the street, staring at the coffee shop. Any second now, her feet would start functioning again and she’d walk inside. Any second now, Tess. 

A car horn startled her, and she laughed quietly at herself. Tessa put her shoulders back, held her head high and pushed through the swinging door to the comforting aroma of freshly ground coffee.

She scanned the smiling faces of the shop’s customers, looking for that familiar one she could describe with ease. She was just beginning to panic about being stood up, when she saw a mop of dark hair sitting at a table for two in the corner. She breathed a sigh of relief and headed over, touching Scott lightly on the shoulder. 

“Hey!” Scott smiled and stood up to give her a hug. She immediately felt comfort in his touch, and relaxed into his arms. He looked her up and down, and laughed.

“Wow, Tessa, you l-look…y-you look amazing!” he stammered, and she thinks this is the most uneasy she’s ever seen him. She laughed, and he immediately straightened up, his confidence restored, but a touch of embarrassment showing on his cheeks. Scott pulled out her chair with a flourish, before sitting down opposite her. 

“Hey, I ordered you a cappuccino, I hope that’s ok? I’m just going by what you got yesterday?” Tessa laughed and nodded, and felt like a complete bimbo. She was just sitting here, staring at him, and laughing at everything. But, she was so happy to see him. It wasn’t very often that they went a week without seeing each other, or even speaking. He wasn’t in skating gear, which was a surprise, but in a casual yet smart polo shirt and jeans. 

“Oh, and I hope you don’t mind, but I asked them to use almond milk. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that you’re gonna like it.” 

For God’s sake. This man knows her, no matter what universe they’re in. 

***********************************************************************************************************************

An hour later, they were still sitting at the table together. Scott had pulled at least 15 pick-up lines, which made Tessa wonder how he had ever landed one girlfriend, let alone three. She felt the loss of the maturity he had gained throughout their career, however. He was a grown man, but wasn’t the level-headed Scott she knew. 

However, she struggled to remember that he didn’t know anything about her life. It was strange to explain about her parents and siblings, people he had known since he was 9 years old. It took her five minutes to explain herself when she accidentally mentioned Marie and Patch. 

As he talked about his passion for coaching young skaters, she felt the sounds of the people talking and the loud coffee machines drifting away, and he was all she could see. For what felt like the first time, she appreciated the way his face expressed every emotion, from his eyebrows to his laughing grin. 

“I’m so lucky to have some unbelievable, up-and-coming teams! I do some technical work with one of my old coaches Igor, and teams like Carreira and Ponomarenko, I mean, you wouldn’t believe what these kids can do at their age!” Scott stopped himself, and looked down into his coffee.

“Sorry, you probably have no clue what I’m gabbing on about.” He laughed bashfully.

Tessa smiled at the irony of the whole situation. If only he knew that they’d both been keeping up with Christina and Anthony for a few years, and was so happy to see that he was coaching them, seeing as he’d always said he’d love to help the young team out. 

“So, if you skated solo, why do you coach teams now?” Tessa inquired, trying to look as clueless about the sport as possible.

“Well, I guess, I’ve always thought that if I’d have had a partner growing up, maybe I would have gotten my head out of my ass and worked a bit harder. I coach teams now to help them work together to succeed together, I guess.” 

Scott looked up, and locked eyes with Tessa. She wanted to cry, but wouldn’t really be able to explain that, so she swallowed the lump that was quickly forming in her throat. 

They really were a package deal. Meant to skate together as one team. If this was the Scott and Tessa that resulted from an adulthood meeting, than she’s never been happier to never meet a guy in a bar. 

Scott laughed nervously, playing with his thumbs.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get that deep on a first date! I promise I’m never usually that serious and boring.”

“No, no! You’re not boring me at all. It’s amazing to hear you talk about your work so passionately! I admire that.” Tessa smiled warmly, trying to make him feel better. Scott looked pensive for a second, before checking his phone.

“Hey, look, I gotta get back to work, but I had a great time today.” Scott’s eyes were soft and Tessa felt a strange tug in her chest. She had felt it before, but not in a long time.

“Me too! You’re great company.” Tessa thought how strange it was to really be on a first date with Scott Moir.

The pair stood up, and Scott helped her with her jacket. As they left the shop together in a companionable silence, Tessa thought to herself that, until this moment, she had never felt comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. Comfortable, because she was with Scott, and that was the greatest comfort she knew. Uncomfortable, because he wasn’t quite her Scott, and she didn’t feel that her purpose here was fulfilled yet. 

They said their goodbyes, and hugged for a moment on the pavement, before he headed in the direction of the nearby Gadbois. Tessa hailed a taxi, and as she was opening the back door, head full of thoughts of what her next step would be, she heard a voice call her name.

“Hey, Tess!”

Her head snapped around in the direction of Scott’s familiar call.

“Go for dinner with me tomorrow night?” He stood with his hands in his pockets, a smirk painting his face.

“Where?” Tessa laughed at his spontaneous attempt at a romantic gesture.

Scott’s smirk turned into a knowing grin.

“Text me your hotel. I’ll pick you up at 7.”

With a laugh, he turned around and headed off down the street, leaving Tessa standing speechless on the pavement. 

Well, at least she had a next step now.


End file.
